Snapchat Adds New Elements for Snapchat+

Snapchat’s adding some new personalization options for Snapchat+ subscribers, including custom, Sims-style houses on the Snap Map, new ways to engage with your digital pets, rapidly expiring Snaps, and more.

First off, Snap’s giving subscribers the option to create their own custom digital house that will appear on the Snap Map.

As you can see in these screenshots, Snapchat+ users will be able to build a version of their house that will appear to friends on the map when location sharing is active.

As per Snap:

“There are nearly infinite ways to customize your crib, whether you’re going for a realistic look or whimsical candy castle.”

So now, you can create your dream home on the map to depict your real location, which could be a fun customization for connections.

Snap’s also expanding its Bitmoji pets, with your furry friends now able to “appear by your Bitmoji’s side as you type in conversations with friends.”

Snapchat added AI-generated pets for Snapchat+ subscribers back in January, and it’s now looking to make them active across a wider range of in-app surfaces.

Snap’s also rolling out “lightning quick Snaps,” which will enable users to create Stories with new expiration options that last .10, .25, and .50 seconds.

These are fun additions, that will likely appeal to Snap’s core audience, which is the key way in which Snapchat has been able to make its subscription offering into a success. Snap’s audience nous and understanding enables it to build options that are more in tune with the ethos of the platform, and what’ll resonate with power users (i.e. those who are most likely to pay).

That’s why Snapchat+ now has 9 million paying subscribers, which is far more than X Premium. Rather than paywalling existing features, and converting its blue checkmarks into a mark of support for Elon Musk, Snapchat has linked into what its user community is most interested in.

Other platforms looking to drive subscriptions should be taking notes.

On the non-Snapchat+ side, Snap’s also added a new “live mirror” in its Bitmoji Builder, in order to make it easier to create a depiction that more accurately reflects your face, while it’s also launched a new “My 5-Year Old Self” Lens.

Snap continues to build engaging tools that align with its audience, and reinforce its value among its user base.